THE BLOG / LATEST FIRST
Writing from
the House.
Posts, observations and field notes, in publication order.
Research Log
Horror Game Design Through Silence and Emptiness: When the Walls Do Nothing
Have you ever experienced a hallway that seems to stretch for too long, a silence that seems to last for one second more than it should? the magically haunting thing about these moments in Horror Game Design is that they don’t scream… they wait. And in the waiting, something inside us begins to unravel, it…
Research Log
Designing Fear Without Ghosts: How Hauntology and Potentiality Shape Supernatural Horror
I’ve long been interested in the potential of designing fear without ghosts. We all know that the most terrifying ghosts are not the ones we see, they are the ones that might be there, somewhere, in the darkness. In this blog, we have spoken, many time about t fear not being in the jump scare;…
Research Log
The Crossroads Experiment
Through my recent work in supernatural horror game design, it has increasingly become apparent to me that, if translating the supernatural into real, tangible, game experiences is my goal as a game design academic, there is a need to re-immerse myself in the tools, the code, the magical language if you like, of what makes…
Research Log
Why the Scariest Moments in Horror Games Are the Ones You Don’t See
The Terrifying Power of Implied Horror A creaking floorboard or a mysteriously flickering light, these moments, where nothing is seen but something, not quite right, is felt, have the power to unnerve players more than the most bloodthirsty monster encounter. So, why does absence of horror sometimes feel more terrifying than its presence? What is…
Research Log
The World as the True Antagonist: Conceptualizing Hostile Environments in Horror Game Design
Introduction Horror games traditionally frame their antagonists as tangible threats, monsters, murderers, or supernatural entities. However, some games subvert this paradigm by making the environment itself the primary source of terror. In such cases, the setting is no longer a passive backdrop but an active agent of dread, fundamentally shaping the player’s experience. This post…
Research Log
Disorienting the Player: The Power of Non-Euclidean Horror Spaces
Introduction Horror games thrive on subverting expectations, unsettling players by disrupting their sense of control and security. However, when the environment itself becomes the antagonist, fear reaches an entirely new level. Non-Euclidean horror spaces—environments that defy conventional geometry—are a powerful tool for crafting immersive, mind-bending terror (Osudin, Denisova, & Child, 2024). By manipulating space in…
Research Log
The Architecture of Fear: Why Certain Spaces Feel Wrong
Introduction The unsettling nature of certain architectural space, and architecture of fear if you like, is an interesting topic and has, for a long time, been a point of discussion in fields such as psychology, phenomenology, and horror studies. Some environments evoke a primal fear that seems disconnected from any immediate threat. Architectural spaces have…
Research Log
The Future of Horror Gaming – BAFTSS Horror SIG Panel
This week, I had the honour of chairing a panel discussion for the British Association of Film, Television, and Screen Studies (BAFTSS) Horror Special Interest Group. It was an incredible experience to explore the evolving relationship between horror games and screen media, diving into how aesthetics, narratives, and technology shape interactive fear. I was privileged…
Research Log
From Dreams to Nightmares: The Role of Surrealism in Horror Games
Surrealism, an avant-garde movement emerging in the early 20th century, sought to unlock the creative potential of the unconscious mind by juxtaposing irrational images and concepts (Gürelli, 2022). While its initial applications were predominantly found in literature and visual arts, surrealism’s influence has permeated various media, including cinema and video games. In horror games, surrealism…
Research Log
Exploring Player Isolation: Horror in Open-World Environments
Horror in gaming as we have spoken about before, is the perfect medium for engaging player emotions. This week I want to think about open-world environments which offer a canvas for exploring fear through isolation. Unlike confined linear games, expansive, eerie landscapes stretch the psychological parameters of horror, allowing players to experience the dread of…